Biology Reference
In-Depth Information
Long-tailed macaques are highly opportunistic omnivores and are known
to inhabit a wide range of many tropical habitats (Poirier and Smith,
1974
;
Aldrich-Blake,
1980
; Fooden,
1995
). Past studies examined variation in popu-
lation density between sites and forest types. This species has a high density
in riverine and edge habitats (Chivers and Davies,
1978
) and in lowland for-
ests (Marsh and Wilson,
1981
). The highest density of long-tailed macaques in
Peninsular Malaysia and other areas is mainly freshwater swamp forest (Marsh
and Wilson,
1981
, Yanuar
et al
.,
2009
).
Under the Malaysian Wildlife Protection Act 1974,
M. fascicularis
is listed as
a protected animal that cannot be killed and captured without permission from
Department of Wildlife and National Parks, Peninsular Malaysia (DWNP).
Macaques have been used as experimental laboratory animal in Malaysia since
the 1970s (Marsh and Wilson,
1981
). Due to the trade ban against Indian rhesus
macaques, the export of Malaysia's macaques increased in numbers to more
than 10,000 animals per year from 1974-1982 (Muda,
1982
). This situation
caused an assessment to be conducted on the macaque trade in the late 1982
(DWNP,
1982
). This assessment resulted in a ban on macaque exporting due
to a serious population decline (DWNP,
1985
). The government of Malaysia
banned the export of long-tailed macaques in 1984, to prevent the abuse of the
monkeys in bio-medical and military laboratories in the United State. Since
1985, no macaques have been exported from Malaysia, and the population of
M. fascicularis
has continuously increased and is now considered a pest around
areas of human settlement.
Recent reports by DWNP indicate that
M. fascicularis
are often reported by
the public as problem makers, and are perceived as pests. A total of 4,139 cases
of disturbance by this species were recorded in Malaysia in 2005 (Saaban,
2006
)
and this figure had increased to 6,578 cases two years later (DWNP,
2007
). The
populations of these macaques can be found at parks, urban forests and farms
(Furuya,
1965
; Kurland,
1973
; Osman,
1998
). They cause damage and dis-
turbance in towns (Southwick and Cadigan,
1972
) and farms (Kavanagh and
Vellayan,
1995
). It appears that the ecological and behavioral flexibility of long-
tailed macaques brings them into conflict with humans (Crockett and Wilson,
1980
), because it allows macaques to adjust to the increase of human population
and their agriculture activities (Else,
1991
; Lee and Priston,
2005
). Furthermore,
historical food provisioning might be another important factor contributing to
the overlap between humans and macaques in Malaysia, as this has been found
in Singapore (Sha
et al
.,
2009a
). Therefore, the reluctance of people to stop
feeding the macaques and to take measures to secure garbage has also increased
the conflict problem recently in many urban settings (Eudey,
2008
).
There have not been many comprehensive studies carried out on the macaque
nuisance problems in Malaysia. In Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM)
main campus, several surveys have been conducted on long-tailed macaque
